Why Did Piper Say He Does Not Use BDAG?

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Bible, Theology & Philosophy
Bible Study
Commentaries
Greek New Testament
John Piper

“My ears perked up when Piper brought up two issues that I’d like to address….One is the use of BDAG, a Greek-English lexicon that I use all the time. The second is the use of commentaries, another thing I do.” - Ward on Words

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JD Miller
Mon, 05/05/25 1:43 pm

Excellent overview. I especially liked how he gave a warning about trying to use BDAG without a proper understanding of Greek. Using a tool incorrectly is usually more detrimental than not using that tool at all. Stick to the tools you know.

For my side job, I do excavation/drainage work. That means that when I put pipe in the ground, the water is expected to run downhill and I have to put it in with the proper slope. A simple job would involve putting a culvert across a driveway and placing a long level across the top of the culvert to make sure it is tilted downhill. We however use a laser to check this. If, however, the laser is not set correctly, the old stick level will be much more accurate.

The same is true with so many study tools. Using something that you understand and sticking to what you do understand and not venturing into things you don't understand is the wisest course of action. I worry when someone with a limited understanding tries to correct a studied scholar. I know that some of the scholars I read may not always be right, but when they are discussing a topic that I do not even understand, then I am more inclined to trust them than I am my own calculations.